Avoid Workplace Woes By Keeping Employees Happy and Healthy

Estimated reading time: 2 mins

Every good boss cares about the welfare of their employees. Making sure that they’re properly looked after at work is not only a legal requirement but a moral one too- and even from a purely selfish perspective, employees that are happier are likely to be more productive and do better work. While some workplaces will have higher risk of injury than others, health and safety is an important aspect of any business. Here are some of the ways you can keep employees safe and happy.

In The Office

Admittedly, offices are some of the safest places to work. There’s no risk of loose materials falling, chemical burns or injury from machinery. But there are still risks when it comes to working in an office. Ensure that fire exits are clear, and that walkways are clear from tripping hazards. When office employees spend the majority of their day sat in front of computers, you need ergonomically designed desks and chairs to reduce neck, back and eye strain. While these might not be life threatening, they can cause a lot of discomfort to workers and can even lead to time being taken off due to pain. Use daylight bulbs instead of harsh fluorescents, and add living plants to the office which have been shown to be mood boosters and even help with productivity levels.

On Construction Sites

Construction sites can be risky places to work, and so ensuring that health and safety procedures are up to scratch is essential. You will need to make sure that everyone is wearing the correct gear such as hard hats, steel toe cap boots and high visibility vests. For certain sites and workers, protective eye and ear wear and gloves may be required as well. You will need to ensure that everyone has the correct training and certification to be allowed on site, and your machinery needs to be properly maintained too. Certain projects will require access hire equipment, scaffolding and heavy machinery which can all be very dangerous. The right maintenance and the right workers are crucial for maintaining health and safety.

In Factories

Factories are rife with machinery, tools and other dangerous pieces of equipment that could cause serious harm. You might also have forklifts moving around which adds another element of risk to the workplace. The proper equipment should always be used, eye and ear wear is common. Hair should be tied back to prevent it from being pulled into machines. Another issue factory workers have to deal with is being on their feet for long hours. Standing on a padded mat and wearing the correct shoes can help with this. Factories often have a high turnover rate since the job is often long hours and very demanding. But you need to make sure everyone that steps onto the factory floor is properly trained and able to do their job safely.

Regardless of the type of business, you run, and the workplace you deal with, making sure that health and safety is strictly followed is paramount to your success and the health and happiness of your workforce.

About the author /

Simon is a creative and passionate business leader dedicated to having fun in the pursuit of high performance and personal development. He is co-founder of Applied Change, a Business Change consultancy based in the UK. Simon is also an Ambassador for Gloucestershire business. Simon is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Professional Development.

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